What Repels Grasshoppers & Locusts?

Grasshoppers cause damage to hundreds of crops every year. (Image: grasshopper on a orange image by inacio pires from Fotolia.com)

Farmers rely on crops for food and income. Grasshopper or locusts infestations threaten a harvest by deteriorating the crops. There are ways to repel and manage grasshoppers.

Barriers

Planting repellent crops like horebound herb, calendula and cilantro will prevent grasshoppers from infesting your crops. Spraying garlic oil, neem oil, henbit tea or hot-pepper spray around the crop barriers is also effectual. You can also cover your garden crops with row covers.

Grasshoppers do not like peas and sweet clover. (Image: pea shoots image by TMLP from Fotolia.com)

Predators

The grasshopper population can be suppressed by their natural enemies. Snakes, toads, cats, skunks, birds, spiders, chickens and preying mantis feed on grasshoppers. Some birds, such as brown thrashers and crows, feed on grasshoppers. Rodents, such as field mice, eat the grasshoppers and the egg pods.

Termination

Because grasshoppers lay eggs in the soil, it can be difficult to kill them off. Nosema locustae will poison the grasshoppers. Black strap molasses, diatomaceious, nolo bait and insecticidal soap also kill grasshoppers. It is advisable to do this during the nymph, or young adult, stage.

Grasshoppers that migrate in swarms are called locusts. (Image: The group of grasshoppers image by YURY MARYUNIN from Fotolia.com)